When we bring our groups here we only take them to shops that sell the REAL DEAL, real Olive Wood products carved by the local Christians who are in much need of our help.
In this way, you are insured of getting the best quality product AND certain you are helping the local Christians.
Lots of the things for sale in the Holy Land are cheap knock-offs. What a shame to get junk and fail to support the local Christians. This also goes for products that are sold in parishes in the USA.
Here is a recent piece exposing the Chinese scams. It begins,
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Christmas is approaching and pilgrims and tourists have begun to arrive, crowding the souvenir shops that line the narrow streets and alleys of Bethlehem, the biblical town revered as Jesus’ birthplace.
A small number of souvenir shops are now trying to fight the trend, stocking their shelves almost exclusively with locally made products. Shopkeepers say that while their wares may be more expensive, the quality is much better and they give an important boost to the struggling economy.
This Post Has 4 Comments
Steve do the real Holy Land Olive Wood Products have crucifixes with soil, seeds, and so on from the holy land?
STEVE RAY HERE: yes, many of them do have these items inside a little vials in the arms of the cross.
We often have vendors wanting to sell products from the Holy Land at our Church. How do we know they are legit, that their products are actually from the Holy Land and that the money is going back to help those who live in the Holy Land?
STEVE RAY HERE
It is not easy to know. Even if it really is all of wood products from Bethlehem, a lot of times not a penny gets back to them only the original purchase of the product. Often times they’re actually Muslims who are selling the olivewood. The best way to know is to find out the peoples name and even send it to me and I can do some research for you in Bethlehem.
Steve Ray I just ran into Jacob at church he sells wood products from Bethlehem. I wasn’t sure if he was legit, told him we were friends and he said you know him by first name ?
STEVE RAY HERE: I wonder why he would not give you his last name? I have not idea since there are a lot of Jacob’s in the Middle East and unless I have a last name, a place of his doing business or a picture, there is no way I can endorse someone. There are a lot of scams and you are correct to be skeptical.
Are you familiar with Blest Art, Beloit, WI? https://blestart.com/pages/about-blest-art Elias Jabbour ,Awad Qumseya, Jeryes Qumseya Omaha-based sales representatives of Blest Art. They have recently contacted St. Gabriel the Archangel in Neenah to sell their product. We no longer allow outside businesses sell their wares after Masses. However, I did suggest that they could sell it at our Craft Sale which is a fundraiser for our Parish. They call all the time and seem pushy to me. Are they legitimate?
STEVE RAY: I sent you a private e-mail about this organization. Like many, they are making a lot of money and it does not get back to Bethlehem.
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